Part 1: Bow Tie Lover in the Flesh!
Meet Tyler! A.K.A. Spiffy! The bow tie loving apprentice bartender at the Boston bar Drink. Originally a West Coaster from the warm and sunny land of San Diego, California, Tyler has learned to make snow hell Boston his new home. A jack-of-all trades entertainer, Tyler came to the Northeast with hopes of making a name for himself in the world of musical theater while attending the Boston Conservatory, only to develop a strong interest in bartending while working as the lead bartender at a local Sushi restaurant. Putting off going to theater auditions in New York to make more time for bartending opportunities, Tyler decided to follow his passion and transferred to the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier, Vermont. As a student, Tyler found that he was less driven to become a chef and more focused on educating himself on the art of bartending, and on earning a degree in Hospitality and Management. After graduating, Tyler returned to Boston in hopes of becoming a bartender on a more professional level, and earned himself a spot at one of Boston's chicest bars, appropriately named Drink.
Going from musical theater to bartending might seem like quite a jump to some people. Do you find that there are overlapping aspects between the two areas?
There's definitely an
entertainment quality that both things possess. When you're in a show, the focus is all about the character you're portraying and how to make the audience think your entertaining enough to keep watching you. When you're bartending, there's still that idea of performance when someone watches you as you make his or her drink, and if you try to have a conversation about the history behind the cocktail the guest is drinking. The difference between being the actor and being the bartender is that when I'm the bartender its not about me, it's really about the guest and trying to give them an experience when they're at Drink. There's no magic trick about being behind the bar, but there is a real difference between hospitality that can be seen as related to performing on a stage and just serving a drink and/or food that I think is an important distinction to make.
What's your least favorite drink to make? Is there a such thing as a drinking faux pas? In other words, what shouldn't we ask for at the bar?
That's a tough question. I think that partly goes into that idea of hospitality vs. serving. For instance, if you want some ridiculous or time consuming tiki cocktail, and that's going to make you happy and your experience at the bar better, than I'm happy to make it for you.
But if I had to choose a least favorite drink to make, I'd say anything with an erotic name; for example, Sex on the beach, Blow job, etc. I don't like to make anything too sweet or sugary. I guess it's not so much as they're a faux pas, but they're just annoying. Actually, sex on the beach was retired, so bartenders can't serve that anymore. Every year in New Orleans they have this thing called the Tales of the Cocktail where they have a funeral procession for the drinks they've decided to retire that year. Most recently they retired the Appletini and the Redheaded Slut.
But I guess a faux pas at a bar might be more alo
ng the lines of snapping your fingers at the bartender to get their attention, or someone not knowing the proper protocol at a bar. Don't interrupt the people next to you or call for me if I'm talking to another guest. I know you're there and I know you want another drink.
Do you have a favorite cocktail to make?
Anything fun. Lately I've been having a lot of fun with cocktail history. For instance the Hearst isn't a complex cocktail; it's just gin, vermouth, and bitters. But there's a great story behind it involving the "hooligans" who worked for William Randolf Hearst.
Do you have a favorite drink?
It really depends on my mood. I would say all spirits; when I go out I usually have something along the lines of an Americano or an Old Fashioned (no fruit!), and I've had a lot of sparkling wine lately. I mean, I love everything about alcohol; I love drinking, I love making drinks, their history, their trends, but oddly enough I don't drink to get drunk. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but that's never my goal. For instance, I like High Life and PBR, but I'm not trying to get drunk off of it. I'm drinking it because it's refreshing and delicious. It kind of reminds me of a real simple but delicious cocktail called the Bees Knees. If you aren't familiar with the classics and you just want a nice refreshing citrusy cocktail ask for a Bees Knees. You won't be disappointed.
What's a good bow tie friendly bar in the Boston area?
Definitely Drink. I'm trying to make some waves in the bartending world and rock the bow tie four to five nights a week at work. Then outside of work I always say collared shirts before t-shirts, and that gives me even more chances to wear bow ties.
But I'd also have to say the Citizen Public House and Oyster Bar in the Fenway. I have some friends there that I've been trying to get into bow ties and have slowly started to wear them. I think everyone should ask their bartender why they don't wear bow ties. I mean, if that's what the paying public wants...
How can you rock a bow tie in a bar scene? And have you experienced positive or negative feedback when wearing bow ties out or working at the bar?
Well, that's easy. I've always loved dressing well. I want to look good and put-together. My staples would probably be a plain colored shirt, a vest, a matching bow tie, perhaps a scally cap and nice pair of jeans. I also like rocking the untied bow tie. It starts out tied, but towards the end of the night I leave it untied around my neck, who's to say how it gets untied but it's always a good time. But when I'm at work I like to tie my bow tie to a point where people come up and ask if it's real or a clip on, and then I BLOW THEIR MIND!
When I was in culinary school I was known as the suit guy, because I really enjoyed wearing suits. But when I moved back to Boston and started wearing bow ties at the bar I became known as the bow tie guy and/or bartender. And I love that!
I've ALWAYS experienced good feedback from wearing a bow tie. I actually haven't had a night at the bar when someone hasn't complimented me about my bow tie. People love it!
****Stay tuned for part 2 of our featured bow tie lover in the flesh Tyler, later this week!
Describe your style?
